What are you listening to now?

[pi2000]

Charles Richard Hamelin
[asin]B01DPBFTLA[/asin]

[Marc]

Halfway the weekend and enjoying Claudio Arrau's Beethoven...

[SonicMan46]

Bach, JS - Cello Suites w/ Hopkinson Smith on theorbo (his transcriptions) - using Spotify on my iPad plugged into the den stereo - close miking - I can hear his fingering occasionally but there is also some minor intermittent distortion which I'm assuming is the wireless Spotify connection (not sure the 'quality' of their offerings) - just curious for those who may own these Naive discs and/or downloads, any such distortion issues?  Thanks - Dave

 

[HIPster]

Bach, JS - Cello Suites w/ Hopkinson Smith on theorbo (his transcriptions) - using Spotify on my iPad plugged into the den stereo - close miking - I can hear his fingering occasionally but there is also some minor intermittent distortion which I'm assuming is the wireless Spotify connection (not sure the 'quality' of their offerings) - just curious for those who may own these Naive discs and/or downloads, any such distortion issues?  Thanks - Dave

 

Hi Dave. 

Playing the first disc now - no distortion, even at louder-than-normal listening levels.

I like these performances very much.  Smith sounds utterly committed here.  Like you, I appreciate the very close perspective of the recording.

There is a small annoyance for me with the CD packaging: the first set is a digi-pak and the second is housed in a standard jewel case.  Weird.  Clearly a WTF were they thinking (or not thinking) situation.  FWIW, I'm a fan of hi-qual. digi-paks, but would have liked some consistency with packaging at minimum.

The music is wonderful.  Enjoy.

[SimonNZ]

Bach's Goldberg Variations - Céline Frisch, harpsichord

[André]

Henning Mankell's concerto was written in 1917. Not much of his output has been recorded. Gösta Nystroem's work dates from 1959. He wrote many symphonies and tone poems (the best known is called Ishavet, or Arctic Ocean). I think I have all his symphonies, but it's difficult to be sure. He didn't number them, giving them titles instead. A truly fascinating composer.

[ritter]

Eleanor Steber singing Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915, op. 24, from this CD:

[asin]B00000J8PU[/asin]

[Todd]

Year 1.

[ritter]

Following the Barber with Régine Crespin singing Ravel's Shéhérazade (conducted by Ansermet) , from this set:

[asin]B008KGWWL6[/asin]

[SimonNZ]

"Dutch Piano Concertos: Fodor, Schmitt and Wilms" - Arthur Schoonderwoerd, Ensemble Cristofori

[ritter]

And now, Debussy's Jeux, in a live recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Munch:

[asin]B002QJ51G6[/asin]

[Spineur]

After some Puccini arias interpreted by José Cura, I am moving to
Dvorak biblical songs Op. 99

[SurprisedByBeauty]

#morninglistening to #Scarlatti w/Linda Nicholson on #Capriccio.

#classicalmusiccollectio... http://ift.tt/2gXZpLZ

also: The Worst Mozart Biography Ever. Paul Johnson: «Mozart -- A Life»

[Todd]

Disc 3, 59/1.  Op 59 is probably where this set hits its comparative high point.

[SonicMan46]

Hi Dave. 

Playing the first disc now - no distortion, even at louder-than-normal listening levels.

I like these performances very much.  Smith sounds utterly committed here.  Like you, I appreciate the very close perspective of the recording.

There is a small annoyance for me with the CD packaging: the first set is a digi-pak and the second is housed in a standard jewel case.  Weird.  Clearly a WTF were they thinking (or not thinking) situation.  FWIW, I'm a fan of hi-qual. digi-paks, but would have liked some consistency with packaging at minimum.

The music is wonderful.  Enjoy.

Thanks HIPster for the comments and confirmation of the sound - must just be Spotify which usually gives me good results on my den stereo.  The packaging is certainly inconsistent - a reason to combine the two into a slim jewel box -   Dave

[Mahlerian]

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 in E-flat, Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Boston Symphony Orchestra, cond. Nelsons


So, seeing this set at the local library and in light of recent discussions, I decided to pay tribute to the closest major orchestra around.  As before, I find that the movements I think are the best in both works are the slow movements.

I don't know how they coaxed Andris Nelsons into looking serious and scowling in all of these pictures.  As far as I can tell from the BSO promo literature nowadays, his face has a manic grin as a permanent fixture.

[Madiel]

First listen to Bachianas Brasileiras No.4, in its original piano form.

[asin]B002CAOVVK[/asin]

To be honest, the opening Prelude is a bit repetitive - the least interesting thing in this box so far.

EDIT: And the following Chorale isn't much better. Nor the Aria. Is it the music? The pianist? I suppose I can't expect to love everything in a box this size, and it's not bad as such, just surprisingly dull compared to what I've been hearing so far. Very 'square' and lacking a vital spark.

[cilgwyn]

I think enough has been said about this recording?! Listening now!

[San Antone]

I really like this! 

Fantastic work and a revelatory performance, the first few times I listened.  It hasn't worn very well with me though.

[San Antone]

Morning listening:



PS After listening to this again, I feel that I am growing weary of Peres' "Byzantine" approach in post Medieval music...
Even if regardless this is a wonderful recording, perhaps it is time to look for another, more state-of-the-art approach... 
I wouldn't mind if this was on the recording list of the  Ensemble Musica Nova under Lucien Kandel...

Q

Me too.